Reviews for the Alienware 17

77%Alienware M17x R5 ReviewSource: T BreakGaming laptops have come a long way from being bulky to slim, but they still don’t match desktop counterparts in terms of performance and are more costly. It’s sad to see that a beastly machine such as the M17x R5 gets outdated so fast with the latest titles. The fact is, even if the M17x R5 comes with Maxwell powered graphics, the performance will still not match up with the satisfying performance of the Maxwell desktop graphics cards. Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 12/11/2014Rating:Total score: 77% price: 70% performance: 70% features: 80% workmanship: 90%

80%Alienware 17Source: Laptop MagSomehow, Alienware has managed to top itself -- again. The Alienware 17 continues to catch every single eye in the room with its cocky, flashy design. And once this rig has your attention, it reels you in more with a gorgeous 1080p display and a stellar sound system. From there, it hits you with a one-two punch from the upgraded Core i7 processor and Nvidia GeForce GTX 880M CPU -- a combination that Floyd Mayweather would be proud of. Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 05/02/2014Rating:Total score: 80%

80%Does Radeon do a gaming laptop good?Source: TechradarSave for some nagging (but ultimately fixable) problems, the Alienware 17 is one of the best gaming laptops money can buy. From its sharp metallic and soft-touch build to a host of powerful components, this is a one-stop shop for getting into PC gaming with a single click.
That said, over $2,000 is a fat wad of cash to put up in hopes of avoiding the perceived hassles of PC gaming. And again, if space is a concern, there are plenty of options that offer more power for less, given this isn't a laptop you'll want in your backpack for long. Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 05/01/2014Rating:Total score: 80% price: 60% performance: 80% features: 90% workmanship: 90%

AMD's R9 M290X Goes MobileSource: Hot HardwareOverall, we're very pleased with the balance on this system, even if AMD Enduro's stability was a sore spot. Disabling the function isn't difficult, but it does come with a battery life tradeoff. Hopefully AMD and Alienware will be able to improve the situation with better drivers and software in the future. Regardless, if you're gaming on this machine, you're going to always want to use the discrete GPU anyway. Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 04/24/2014

100%Alienware 17 reviewSource: Stuff TVComplaining about the size and weight of the Alienware 17 is missing the point, really – this laptop is all about no-compromise gaming, and in this it excels.
OK, so the styling won't be to everyone's tastes and it's a long way from cheap, but if fragging is your thing, this beast of a machine will be your new best friend. Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 02/19/2014Rating:Total score: 100% performance: 100% display: 80% mobility: 70% workmanship: 90%

90%Alienware 17 Gaming Laptop ReviewSource: KitguruOverall we are very impressed with the Alienware 17. It offers almost all of the performance of the Alienware 18 in a more convenient, portable package.
The aesthetic design remains very similar, despite the difference in size. The Alienware 17 is very eye catching and is sure to attract gamers who are looking to buy a desktop replacement.
Even though the Alienware 17 isn’t currently available with the same range-topping Intel Core i7-4930MX processor as the Alienware 18, the performance of the i7-4800MQ will be more than enough for the vast majority of users. Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 12/17/2013Rating:Total score: 90%

82%A little slimmer and lighter, but still not exactly portableSource: CNetSide by side, the massive Alienware 18 we reviewed alongside this 17-inch model is the more impressive, and more expensive system. But the (slightly) more modest Alienware 17 is probably the winner in terms of practicality for most shoppers, cramming nearly all the same features, and much of the performance, into a thinner, lighter body. Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 11/06/2013Rating:Total score: 82% performance: 90% mobility: 60%

83%Review: Alienware 17Source: PC AuthorityAlienware still delivers a great product with a striking design and very robust build quality. But you pay for the Alienware brand, and if you just want the best bang for your buck then we suggest you will want to shop around a bit. If money isn’t an option though, this is a seriously good, if not quite great, gaming laptop. Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 10/04/2013Rating:Total score: 83% price: 83% performance: 83% features: 83% workmanship: 83%

Dell's new gaming laptops are fast, powerful and well-litSource: EngadgetSurprise: Dell's legacy as an OEM and Alienware's gaming cred still make for an awesome combination -- both the Alienware 14 and 17 rank among the best gaming laptops we've reviewed this year. Excellent build quality, killer components and excellent performance have left us with little to complain about. Comparison, online available, Long, Date: 09/15/2013

Comment

Series:

Alienware recently made an impressive foray into making an 18 inch gaming behemoth. While two video cards and some of the most powerful components grouped together in one ostensibly portable machine were a wonder just to contemplate, Alienware have now returned to the much more user friendly size of 17 inches. This is still desktop replacement size, but the 1 inch of difference should make it appreciably easier to carry around. On the outside, a muted silver hue encases the minimalist looking machine. The familiar Alienware head stands out in matte black, matching the keyboard and palm rests. For those wanting to showoff, this machine comes with that familiar Alienware programmable light show. The logo, the keyboard backlight, touchpad, and the alien head on the lid can be lit up and customized for color and be made to pulse.

At the high end of the available configuration options, the Alienware 17 features the 2.7 GHz Intel Core i7 4800MQ and the 4GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 780M. With 16 GB of RAM thrown in for good measure, only the most demanding games will require use of medium settings. The 17 inch, 1920x1080 resolution matte screen may be a disappointment to those who were looking out for the newer 3200x1800 resolution which has yet to be adopted by current gaming laptops. As is typical for machines this power hungry, the Alienware will allow for approximately 4 hours of light use. During more intensive gaming, plugging in is mandatory. Overall, this is a high-end machine with lots of power for the enthusiastic gamer with deep pockets.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M: Upcoming high-end graphics card for laptops and part of the 700M series.
With these GPUs you are able to play modern and demanding games fluently at medium detail settings and HD resolution.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.Intel Core i7: The Intel Core i7 for laptops is based on the LG1156 Core i5/i7 CPU for desktops. The base clock speed of the CPUs is relatively low, but because of a huge Turbo mode, the cores can dynamically overclock to up to 3.2 GHz (920XM). Therefore, the CPU can be as fast as high clocked dual-core CPUs (using single threaded applications) but still offer the advantage of 4 cores. Because of the large TDP of 45 W / 55 W, the CPU is only intended for large laptops. 4800MQ: Haswell-based quad-core processor clocked at 2.7 GHz with Turbo Boost support up to 3.7 GHz. Offers an integrated HD Graphics 4600 GPU and a dual channel DDR3 memory controller.» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.17.3":

This large display size is used for laptops which are mainly intended for an use on a desk.

Large display-sizes allow higher resolutions. So, details like letters are bigger. On the other hand, the power consumption is lower with small screen diagonals and the devices are smaller, more lightweight and cheaper.

» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.4.2 kg:

This weight is representative for typical laptops with a 14-16 inch display-diagonal.

Alienware: Alienware was founded in the USA in 1996. Alienware established its EMEA (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) headquarters in Ireland, in 2002. Alienware has belonged to the Dell Group since 2006. The product range mainly focuses on gaming laptops and desktops. Trademark is a slightly futuristic design with an alien logo. In addition, Alienware offers workstations for private and business customers.

Alienware belongs to the mid-sized manufacturers of the notebook market. There are some reviews with average ratings overall.

84.63%: This rating should be considered to be average. This is because the proportion of notebooks which have a higher rating is approximately equal to the proportion which have a lower rating.
» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.